Finding Hope
by ShadowOfApate
Summary: Experimental Fic. A visit to Rack leaves Willow determined to help other addicts.


Title : Finding Hope  
>Author : Tariq ( formerly Aeris Jade Orion )<br>Rating : R  
>Pairing : WRTM  
>Timeline : Season Six<br>Summary : A visit to Rack goes horribly wrong,  
>and Willow decides to make it her mission to<br>help other addicts.

Authors note: It's unbeta'd. At the moment I  
>have no beta reader for this genre. So drop me<br>a line if you're interested.

Second, due to health issues, and taking care  
>of my disabled mom, I haven't been able to<br>write much. But over the last several years  
>I've managed to slowly write on a number<br>of stories.

What I've decided to do is go ahead and  
>publish what I've managed to put together.<br>The stories are unfinished, and sometimes,  
>the last chapter I worked on is unfinished.<br>Plus, there maybe multiple chapters, each one a  
>different version. Just warning everyone.<p>

So I apologize in advance.

Disclaimer : Not mine. All characters belong  
>to Joss Whedon.<p>

00000  
>Prologue<br>00000

It was too much. Her skin burned, itched, felt  
>close to burstings. Power grew in her body,<br>rippling and swirling through her veins, filling  
>them until they pressed up through the skin.<p>

" Stop... " She breathed.

A demon appeared in her vision of stars. She  
>had to get away. Had to run. She thrashed<br>against the ceiling, but Rack held her tightly  
>to it, and her vision cleared.<p>

Raspy laughter grew in volume, and suddenly she  
>fell to the floor. Pain exploded throughout her<br>body. A cracking in her left leg dimly telling  
>her she had broken bones.<p>

Amy started to scream, and she managed to tilt  
>her head to the side. Her right eye widened in<br>horror at the sight of her demon on top of her  
>friend. The long claws tearing into the former<br>rat with long splatters of blood.

" No..."

She struggled to get her arms under her, but the  
>pain and magic was against her. She fought on,<br>Rack's continuing laughter, sobbering her fast.

Her left arm crumbled. The shoulder popping. Her  
>sight darkened for a second. She breathed deeply<br>and managed to stay conscious.

In desperation, she reached out with her protesting  
>magic and shot pure fire at the demon. It threw it's<br>head back in a howl, dying in a cloud of ash.

" Amy? "

" Too late, Strawberry. " Rack chuckled. " She's a  
>corpse. "<p>

' My fault. ' Willow realized. ' If I had listened  
>to Tara, none of this would've happened. '<p>

" Oh well, it's how it happen's sometimes. " Rack  
>shrugged.<p>

" Shut up. " Willow pushed herself onto her back  
>with a groan.<p>

" Now, now, Strawberry. Don't be that way. " Rack  
>lightly scolded.<p>

" Don't call me that. "

She used her right arm to heave herself into a  
>sitting position. She had to get out of there,<br>and to a hospital.

" Hmmm, and what? You're going to go back to  
>your little girlfriend? You're boring little<br>life? " Rack mocked.

" What about it? "

Magic danced around his fingers. The dealer  
>smirking knowingly at her. " You've had a<br>taste of real power. No one willingly walks  
>away from it. "<p>

" I can. " Willow whispered around silent  
>tears.<p>

Rack's scarred face stretched into a dark  
>smirk. " I'd like to test that theory. "<p>

A jolt of magic slammed her violently into  
>the floor. More powerful than anything he'd<br>hit her with before. Her left elbow snapped,  
>and three of her finger on her right hand made<br>crackling sounds.

Another jolt hit, and then she realized she was  
>screaming.<p>

00000

" Can you hear me? "

She struggled against the agony of her body.  
>The memories of what happened at Rack's were<br>muddled, she dimly had some knowledge of  
>striking out, or her magic yanking her away<br>from Sunnydale...

" My name is Miss. Harkin. I run a coven in  
>Devon, England. I'm a close friend of Rupert<br>Giles. You teleported into our dining room  
>a short time ago. "<p>

Oh, not good.

"...don't tell... Giles. " She gasped out.

" Child, if he doesn't call in a favor I owe  
>him I can't rehibilitate you. It's not allowed.<br>The most we can do for you is healing your  
>injuries and getting you through your<br>withdrawal's. "

" ...no. "

" As you wish. "

Maybe it was a mistake, but somehow forcing the  
>coven to help her seemed almost as bad as her<br>addiction. No, she would rather muddle through on  
>her own, than taint the tenant's of the wiccan<br>religion.

She sank back into a wave of agony. Not quite  
>unconscious. Something told her it was going<br>to be a long night.

00000

Willow folded the last of her two extra pairs  
>of jeans. Along with a single package of socks<br>and underwear, they went into the black, Jansport  
>Cathedral Backpack.<p>

Next she packed three t-shirts. Two sets of boxers  
>and tank tops for sleeping. But other than the<br>dark brown cordary jacket she left out to wear,  
>she couldn't take any more clothes with her.<p>

Instead the rest of the space was packed with  
>toiletries. A thick address book with almost a<br>hundred magical users across the world. All  
>properly taught, and firm white magic<br>practictioners.

Miss. Harkin had given it to her in hopes of  
>her finding someone to teach her. Shaman,<br>druid, wiccan, etc.

Still, it wasn't a matter of calling them up  
>and asking. She had to go to them and let them<br>meet her. Examine her aura, her magic, and see  
>if their belief's would allow for them to<br>rehibilate her.

She knew it would be a long, exhaustng road.  
>One rife with dangers. Not to mention great<br>frustration.

Willow packed the book of shadows she'd  
>started into the bag, and the three books the<br>coven leader had given her. Despite what Gile's  
>friend had said, she had taught Willow the<br>basic's. Going so far as to give her several  
>books to continue her lessons on the road.<p>

" Leaving already? "

Willow zipped up her bag. Taking a moment to  
>pull on her jacket, before shrugging on the<br>backpack.

" There's nothing left to learn here, a-and  
>I don't want to get you in trouble with me<br>being all dark magicy. " Willow explained,  
>picking up her cane.<p>

Miss. Harkin frowned at her in disapproval.  
>Whether from her leaving while still hobbling<br>around, or from indicating she getting her  
>in trouble she didn't know.<p>

" You need more time to recover child. You're  
>barely able to walk. A strong enough wind is<br>going to knock you over with that leg of your's. "  
>Miss. Harkin tsked.<p>

Willow waved her off, limping from the room.  
>" Maybe, but I can't hang around here for the<br>next six months. I have too much to do. You said  
>yourself you doubted many of the groups in the<br>black book would be willing to help me, and there  
>are a hundred names. If I manage one name a day,<br>that's one hundred days. "

" Fine, but don't forget most of those groups  
>will be teleporting you. So may get three, or<br>four names a day, if you're rejected. "

" Maybe. " Willow admitted.

" Well, if you're determined, I won't stop you.  
>My sister's are ready to teleport you to your<br>first stop. " Miss. Harking sighed. " And Willow,  
>do try and stay out of trouble. "<p>

Willow rolled her eyes at the middle aged women.  
>It wasn't her fault. The stupid, arm munching<br>horse was completely responisble for everything.  
>But would the other woman believe her, no.<p>

" All horses should be banished to the ends of  
>the Earth. "<p>

" What was that? "

" Nothing. " Willow smiled innocently.

" Good luck, Willow, and Blessed be. "

" Blessed Be, Miss. Harkin. Thank you. For  
>everything. "<p>

00000

To Be Continued 


End file.
